More than a game of two halves

The idea is that fostering sports heroes will encourage more grassroots participation. To this end, the government expects to pass a bill later this month that would allow schools to hire professional coaches, as opposed to physical education teachers, to train their teams. It is hoped this will improve the level of play while providing more opportunities for students who choose to pursue athletics as a career.

"The ultimate goal is to encourage a true love of sports on a local level," Huang said, "and have more people like Kale, who do this because they love it."

Officials at the Chinese Taipei Football Association already see improvement. The men's team is better and is more confident, said Jong Chien-wu (鍾劍武), the association's deputy general secretary. "Before they felt they were going to lose before the game had even started. Now they play to win."

Wu said two-dozen teams played in youth leagues under his association four years ago. Last year there were 62, now there are 136. This year, the association is permitting youth teams to play seven-a-side soccer on smaller fields, which will allow schools that lack a regulation-sized pitch to field teams. But there seems to be little emphasis on club teams, which would select the best players and bring competition to a higher level.

SCSC will field seven-a-side and 11-a-side teams this year, and Kale wants to join the Chinese Taipei Football Association because it is the only body recognized by FIFA and because it will allow his club to play more games. Although Jong said there are plans to create a league for clubs, Kale was told recently that the association could not recognize his club because it lacked a regulation-sized field.

Another reason given was that if club teams competed successfully against schools teams, principals and teachers would not gain points on their resumes for fielding successful teams and would thus lose the incentive to organize teams at their schools.

Kale would love to see the association form a club league, but he would like it even more if club teams were allowed to play school teams in the Chinese Taipei Football Association's tournaments. "It would be nice if it happens," he said, "but my players are getting older." In the meantime, his club must content itself with playing a smaller schedule in tournaments run by groups that aren't recognized by FIFA.